Five Years Later

Part 28

Now that the words had finally been exchanged, Blaine couldn't wait to return to Sebastian's after rehearsal that day. And it took quite a bit of restraint for him not to blurt out why he was in such a good mood as it was impossible for him to hide it. Though, he knew the girls would be positively ecstatic for him after how broken he was because of the stress of the divorce. And the guys would be happy for him; he just didn't want to get distracted from the task at hand. More than once they all heard him question his thoughts and feelings about love, yet there was no questioning what he felt for Sebastian was anything other than love.

During the subway ride back to Sebastian's apartment after rehearsal, Blaine was hoping Sebastian was home as he'd sent a text earlier saying he was going out but never sent one saying he was home. After the way he'd reacted, Blaine wanted nothing more than to reaffirm everything he said to Sebastian after making such a huge mistake. Taking a chance when he reached the doors he asked the doorman if Sebastian had returned from his outing and was promptly told he'd returned about an hour prior. Upon hearing that news, Blaine had a bit more spring in his step as he headed inside and towards the elevators.

When he approached the door, Blaine took a deep breath before opening the door. Returning to Sebastian's this time around felt different though he didn't quite know why. After hanging up his coat, Blaine ventured further in but stopped as soon as he reached the end of the hall. Before him on the coffee table was a huge bouquet of red and white roses with some petals scattered around the bottom. Beside that sat a chilled bottle of champagne, along with two flutes, and some candles. "Bas." Blaine called out upon not seeing him. He didn't get an answer so he went to set his guitars in the rack before calling out once more.

Before he had the chance to do so, he felt Sebastian's arms wrap around him from behind and felt his warm breath against his ear. "I missed you." He said before nipping his ear gently before Blaine turned in his arms.

"I missed you too." Blaine replied before moving up on his toes to kiss him. "After what happened earlier, this was the first time I didn't want to go to rehearsal. I wanted to stay here with you."

"The feeling was certainly mutual B." Sebastian told him before releasing his hold and taking ahold of one of Blaine's hands and guiding him to the couch. "But now you're here and the rest of the day/night is ours to do as we please." While he spoke, the two sat down on the couch. "Is it too early for you?" Sebastian asked as he pointed towards the champagne. Blaine shook his head, so Sebastian reached for the bottle to open it.

"What's with the roses Bas?"

"They're for you."

"They're beautiful."

"I'm glad you think so as the florist and I had a differing opinion as she thought I should've gone for a more vibrant red than the deep red I chose."

"They're perfect Bas." Once he replied, Blaine leaned over to give him another kiss before Sebastian poured their champagne. "May I ask what we're drinking to?"

"For getting out of our own ways and telling each other how we are feeling, though it might not have been the most romantic way of doing so." Sebastian said before handing Blaine his glass. "Yet when do we ever do things as expected, right Killer?"

"That's true, but it works for us." Sebastian smiled before clinking his glass against Blaine's before they each took a sip. Once they did, they each looked at one another as they attempted to read where the other's mind was at. Yet this time around, Blaine didn't want to presume anything after he was so far off earlier. "So, roses, champagne, do you have anything else in store for me?" Sebastian then reached over with his other hand and placed it on Blaine's thigh.

"Considering you know me so well, what do you think?"

"That there is more."

"Why is that?" Sebastian asked before taking another sip.

"It's because you tend to go big or not at all, as you said anything worth doing is worth doing right. Plus, you know it would take more than roses and champagne to truly romance me."

"Do you think I'm trying to romance you Blaine?" Blaine nodded before taking a sip of champagne causing Sebastian to smile. "Am I off to a good start at least since this is something rather new for me?"

"You are. And while some people might consider these things cliché, I don't, not in the slightest. Now, what else do you have in store for me?"

"Do you want me to tell you, or would you rather I show you?"

"Show me." With that Sebastian took ahold of Blaine's hand once more after managing to grab the champagne bottle along with this glass. Blaine looked up at him and smiled before being led towards Sebastian's bedroom. When they walked through the doorway, Blaine couldn't help the smile on his face as there were a few candles lit as well, along with some petals tossed across the sheets as the duvet was already turned down. The moment Sebastian turned to look at him he couldn't believe the smile he saw as it seemed so different from the ones he normal saw on Blaine. Yet after everything Blaine had ever told him, he felt it was time Blaine was the one to be made to feel special instead of the one having to do everything.

After setting his glass and the bottle on the dresser, Sebastian took Blaine's glass from him before leaning in to give him a kiss. "Lift your arms Killer." Blaine looked at him, yet didn't say a word, just raised his arms as Sebastian requested. The next thing Blaine knew his shirt was being pulled off of him and being tossed to the side. Slowly but surely Sebastian began to undress him till he was left only in his boxer briefs. "Would you mind lying down on the bed, chest down?" Blaine shook his head and slowly made his way onto the bed.

Once he was settled, he glanced back over his shoulder at Sebastian who was standing near the edge of the bed. "Aren't you joining me?" Instead of a verbal response, Blaine watched as Sebastian pulled his shirt off over his head, and then tossed it onto the pile of clothes before moving towards the dresser. The way Sebastian was standing, it blocked Blaine's line of sight so he had no clue what was going on. By the time Sebastian turned, he turned opposite of Blaine and made his way onto the bed, straddling Blaine's thighs. "Bas."

"Relax B." While the words are simple, it's hard for Blaine to relax as having a shirtless Sebastian straddling his legs certainly has his mind working, wondering what's happening. The moment he hears a bottle pop, his body tenses slightly causing Sebastian to run a hand over his back. "Like I said B, relax, you're going to enjoy this." With the sound so familiar, Blaine wondered what was going to happen considering he still had his underwear on. But soon any trepidation he felt vanished as he felt Sebastian's hands on his back, beginning a massage. "That's more like it." Sebastian told him as Blaine's body instantly relaxed under his touch. "I thought you could use this after all the rehearsing you've been doing."

"Ah huh." Blaine sighed softly as Sebastian's hands continue to move. There didn't seem to be a part of his back Sebastian neglected, while also giving proper attention to Blaine's shoulders and neck. Once he felt Sebastian's hands kneading his lower back, Blaine was certain he was incapable of moving with how relaxed he felt. Yet the instant Sebastian moved his hands, Blaine looked back at him and saw him getting off the bed. "Are you…done?" The slight bit of hesitation in his voice caused Sebastian to tilt his head as he looked at him while removing his jeans.

"And here I thought a massage that lasted well over an hour was more than enough." Sebastian said before adding his jeans to the pile. "I guess I forgot just how greedy my boyfriend can be." He continued as he moved back onto the bed. "How do you feel?"

"Incredible, thank you." Blaine was about to turn over, when Sebastian made his way over him and pressed his body down against his. "Bas?"

"I'm only getting started B." Sebastian then pressed a kiss between Blaine's shoulder blades. "It's about time I show you precisely how I feel."

By the time the two collapsed in bed later that evening, Sebastian glanced over at Blaine who was looking at him as well. "That was…" Blaine began as he took Sebastian's hand in his. "…it was amazing Bas."

"It was pretty incredible, wasn't it?" Sebastian replied as he rolled onto his side to look at him. He then took his other hand and caressed Blaine's cheek. "What is it?"

"I…I can't believe I was so wrong this morning. The way I reacted, was…uncalled for."

"You were scared B, it's okay. Trust me; I never knew it was possible to feel the loss I felt in that moment when you told me you were leaving. But it shows my own fears were making their way to the surface but not in the way you thought."

"Still…"

"Blaine, don't worry about it, alright. Just think, something good came out of it. We both now know how the other feels. And I want you to know, I meant everything I said, I love you...I'm in love with you. I only hope you're patient with me as this is still new for me."

"I will be considering how patient you are with me as I know patience isn't your strong-suit. We've both got lots to learn Sebastian as I clearly got a lot of things wrong in the past."

"We just have to remember to not keep our fears to ourselves. Can we do that B?"

"Yes, as I don't want to feel like I did this morning again. I don't expect things to always be like this Bas, I know there will be bumps along the way. I just…I don't want them to become bigger than us."

"Neither do I as it's taken us too long to get here."

While Blaine and Sebastian were basking in their newly declared love for one another, the rest of their friends were meeting for a late dinner now that they'd all arrived in town. Trent and Beat asked multiple times why Blaine and Sebastian weren't joining them that evening, yet didn't get much of an answer outside of they had plans. None of the ones they asked said any different yet no one could tell them what the plans were. Those that had lunch with Sebastian could clearly tell something was going on even though they didn't push. And those thoughts were only confirmed on Jeff's end when Morgan told him how downright giddy Blaine was at rehearsal that day. So something had clearly happened between the duo, yet no one knew exactly what aside from Hunter who wasn't going to say a word as it wasn't his place.

"Now Trent, are you sure you're game to do this?" David said as he knew precisely where they were going. "I mean, you're a bit more reserve than the rest of us and this place is a bit over the top."

"Yes." Trent replied with a shake of his head. The guys couldn't help but tease Trent as he was certainly the most reserved of the group, but once he opened up there was no stopping him. Something that Thad and David always tried to make happen sooner rather than later anytime they did something that was slightly outside his comfort zone. "Now, why are we going here again as it's not one of the typical places we go to when we're all in town?"

"Well, we're hitting our usual spot tomorrow to support Blaine." Thad told him. "And secondly, Jeff, Hunter, and myself all promised Santana we'd come and see her at work." Jeff and Hunter shared a smile before looking over at Trent.

"Tell me again how Blaine puts up with all of you?"

"Don't forget to add Sebastian into the mix." Beat told him. "But, maybe Blaine has his own ways of dealing with Sebastian." When the guys all laughed, Hunter shook his head as a knowing smile crept to his face. If the guys only knew what Sebastian would do for Blaine, they might not joke about Blaine having a way with him.

By the time they were done with dinner, it wasn't long till they were on their way to the bar to see Santana. On the trip over, Beat looked at Thad and Hunter. "Something we can do for you?" Hunter asked noticing Beat's expression during their train ride.

"I can't help but feel as though the two of you aren't telling us something."

"Get used to it." Nick said. "I have. They're essentially Sebastian's best friends so they probably know way more than we do. Yet know Sebastian would make their lives miserable should either of them slip." Nick's comment caused Thad and Hunter to look at one another and smile. Nick was right as they both knew more than anyone else, but little might they realize they both knew entirely different things. While Thad was filled in on the basics of Blaine's divorce, Hunter was privy some of the darker details. Even though Sebastian rarely got into specifics, he said enough that Hunter could read between the lines. And in those moments, he knew why Sebastian was talking with him instead of Thad as Thad wouldn't be able to control his emotions. The fact that Sebastian was able to hold it together as well as he had, impressed Hunter as even he felt his anger build during quite a few of their talks.

Once they emerged from the subway they didn't have to walk too far till they could hear the music coming from the bar. While most places didn't tend to get busy till later, given it was a holiday week it was clear people were getting an early start on their celebrating. The louder it got all eyes fell upon Trent who was smiling as they walked. "You're all ridiculous if you think I'm going to be uncomfortable considering some of the places we've gone."

"He's got a point." Jeff said as they approached the door. "He survived Thad's twenty-first birthday in Vegas and we certainly partied hard that weekend."

"Do you even remember that weekend?" Wes said as they headed inside. Jeff smiled but didn't say another word as they all instantly spotted Santana up on the bar. When she told the guys one of the places she worked, they all laughed as she was always so serious, but she wasn't kidding. Yet there she was dancing with a huge smile on her face. As the guys took in her attire, Thad and Jeff each felt a tug on their sleeves causing them to turn to Beat. "What?"

"She's fucking gorgeous!"

"We know." Thad replied. "Just remember, we're not her type." They both heard Beat sigh, but they understood the feeling all too well. Once the girls hopped off the bar and got back to work it wasn't long after till the guys made their way towards her.

"What can I get for you studs this evening?" Santana asked playfully with a smile that was hard to ignore.

"Round of eight shots, your choice." Hunter replied causing her to wink.

"Coming right up!" Santana went to turn but quickly looked back. "Who's missing as it should be ten?"

"Blaine and Sebastian already had plans for only the two of them." Jeff told her and soon a smirk crept to her face before she went to grab a stack of shot glasses. After Santana walked away, Jeff glanced over at Trent who was taking in his new surroundings. While he didn't look uncomfortable, Jeff knew it was going to be a bit before he acclimated.

Once the first round of shots was had, Santana was pretty quick to get back to work but made certain to give the boys ample attention. The first time she made her way out from behind the bar, it caught a few of the guys off guard but Thad and Hunter had been there before so they'd expected it. Watching her, they could now all see why bartending suited her. While she could be a bit abrupt with people, she was certainly in her element at that moment as she was having fun while working. It also now put everything into perspective when she told Hunter, Thad, and Jeff that Rachel rarely came to see her on the nights she worked here.

With the guys more than enjoying themselves, the next time Hunter came up to get them all another round of shots Santana took a chance. "Hunter, by chance do you know what type of girl Thad is into?" She asked as she poured their shots causing Hunter to raise an eyebrow. "It's not for me smartass."

"I didn't think so as I know I'm not that buzzed." Hunter replied as she reached for another glass after one didn't look right to her. "Uh, he has a thing for brunettes and prefers them slightly shorter since he's vertically challenged." Hunter's response caused her to snort loudly causing one of the other bartenders to look at her all crazy. "Aside from that, he doesn't have much of a preference, why?"

"Just curious."

"Bullshit!"

"You know, talking to you is almost like talking to Sebastian."

"So I've been told." While he spoke, she pushed the tray at him before going to the next customer, leaving him without an answer. With as good as he felt, Hunter didn't give their conversation much more thought as he made their way back to the guys. Once there, they all enjoyed their shot before resuming their conversations. "Why is Trent three different shades of red?"

"He was just spanked just before you returned." Wes replied with a laugh. "None of us think he thought she was serious when she asked and he replied."

"We so have to tell Blaine and Sebastian about this." Nick said with a laugh causing Trent to glare at him knowing full well Sebastian would have a field day with this.

"What kept you up at the bar so long?" Beat asked as he reached for his beer.

"Santana didn't like one glass she had and then…she asked a question about Thad here." That caused Thad to look at him in wonder. "Yea, I thought the same thing. She wanted to know what sort of girl you were interested in."

"Anything that walks, talks, and gives him the time of day." David said causing the others to laugh. While Thad looked at him, he really couldn't argue. He certainly had preferences, but he didn't discriminate. "It sounds as though Miss Lopez knows someone that is interested in you Thad." Thad looked at David before shaking his head. "It's not that crazy you know, though, you're not my type."

"Maybe later I'll ask her as this isn't really a conversation to have across a bar while she working."

"And what if it's one of her co-workers?" Beat asked. "Wouldn't it be better to find out now?"

"True, but unlike most of you, I live here in the city so I can come back anytime I want." While the guys wanted to object, they really couldn't as Thad certainly had a point. So they all decided to drop it till they had a better opportunity to talk.

When Santana got home that evening, she was surprised to find Rachel sitting on the couch sipping a cup of tea while watching a movie. For Rachel to be up at that hour was certainly out of the ordinary as Santana could count on one hand the number of times it had happened since she'd started to bartend. So after changing her clothes, she put on something more comfortable before going to join her on the couch after grabbing some ice cream from the fridge. "So, care to tell me what has you up so late?" Santana asked as she plopped down beside her, then putting her feet up on the table.

"I wish I knew. I just couldn't sleep." Rachel replied before taking a sip. "How was your night?"

"Fun, as usual, but tonight more so." When Rachel looked at her Santana smiled before taking another bite of ice cream. "The guys came by, well, the guys minus Blaine and Sebastian who were doing something together."

"The guys, is a bit vague."

"Fine. Jeff, Nick, Hunter, David, Wes, Beat, Trent, and Thad." Not surprisingly, Santana saw Rachel's expression change. "Yep, they were all there drinking away. I must say, the more time I spend with them, I like them more and more."

"You were working Santana."

"I know, but they came up to the bar quite often. Plus you know I get out from behind it a bit." Rachel nodded as she knew that was true from the couple of times she'd gone to see her. "You should know, Thad has a thing for brunettes." The way Rachel's eyes bugged out, Santana couldn't help but laugh. "Don't worry, I didn't ask him, I asked Hunter." When she went back to eating her ice cream she could feel Rachel's eyes on her. "I didn't mention you. I only asked if Thad had a preference and you my dear fit it."

"How so?"

"I already told you he likes brunettes, but he also prefers shorter girls. Per Hunter it's because Thad is vertically challenged." Rachel couldn't help but giggle at Santana's words. While Thad certainly wasn't as tall as Sebastian, he wasn't necessarily short either. "Also, he speaks Spanish."

"Excuse me?"

"Thad can speak Spanish and from what I heard, he's rather fluent." When Rachel cast her eyes down, Santana turned to look at her. "What is it?"

"Why do these guys seem so different from the ones I'm used to?"

"Maybe going to a private prep-school is part of it as what was expected of them was different. Not to mention they're all rather well off so different expectations were put on them growing up. Think about it, how did you feel the first time you met the Andersons?"

"In over my head." Santana nodded as she knew the feeling all too well. "Yet, they quickly put me at ease, much as Blaine had."

"The rest of the guys are pretty much the same Rach, don't judge them or you're no better than Kurt and all the things he used to say about them."

"True, I can only imagine what he'd have to say about what I saw today."

"And what might that be?"

"I dropped Blaine and Sebastian's gifts off at Sebastian's and well, his place is beautiful. It's in one of those gorgeous high-rises on the Upper West Side."

"Does that really surprise you?" Santana replied between bites. "Especially after what Blaine had to say about it."

"Blaine downplayed how gorgeous it is. I could only dream of living in a place like that someday."

"Hey, the loft isn't that bad as we've certainly made improvements through the years."

"I know, it's just…seeing that was a reminder of how different our worlds are."

"Yet they are very much alike." Santana reminded her. "But if that's what you now feel, better to realize it now before you fall hard for a guy that you believe is so out of your league. I mean, a bunch of the girls I work with were commenting on how hot the guys are." When Rachel flashed a look at her that clearly read she wasn't happy Santana laugh. "Yea, that's what I thought. Just remember, make the most of tomorrow night or actually, tonight as he's leaving the next day and won't be back till just before New Year's." Rachel nodded as she couldn't argue with Santana as she knew it was true. So when they got to the show that evening, she would do her best to not be so shy around the guys and actually initiate a conversation that didn't revolve around Blaine's performance.

The next morning when Sebastian awoke, he was a bit surprised to find the bed empty next to him as Blaine tended to make the most of being able to sleep in. With a quick glance at the clock, Sebastian realized Blaine wouldn't be coming back to bed, so he decided to get up and find out just what Blaine was doing. After putting some close on, he made his way out into the living room and saw Blaine sitting on the couch with his headphones on and keyboard set up before him. Since Blaine was working on some arrangements, he brought his keyboard over to Sebastian's over the weekend.

All it took was one look at him and Sebastian knew Blaine was oblivious to anything that was going on around him as he had that look in his eyes, not to mention he was wearing noise canceling headphones. So instead of bother him, Sebastian headed for the kitchen to make some coffee as he really didn't function well without it in the mornings. After dumping the last of the pot and starting anew, he couldn't help but wonder how long Blaine had been up. Though he knew it had to be at least a couple of hours as he usually didn't get that look in his eyes right away.

Since he hadn't been able to smell coffee when he'd walked into the kitchen, he decided to pour Blaine a fresh cup as well after his own before going to join him. Knowing the zone he got into while working, Sebastian made a point of setting the new cup down in Blaine's line of sight so he wasn't startled. Once he did, he saw a smile creep to Blaine's face as he lifted his head from the keyboard towards Sebastian. "Morning." Sebastian told him once Blaine removed his headphones and let them hang around his neck.

"Good morning." Blaine replied before leaning over to give Sebastian a kiss once he sat down beside him. "How'd you sleep?"

"Like a rock considering I was exhausted when we went to sleep." He then took a sip of his coffee. "You?"

"The same." Blaine told him as he reached for his fresh cup of coffee. "So getting out of bed this morning was harder than it should've been."

"Then you shouldn't have." Sebastian said as he looked at the computer screen as Blaine had his laptop connected to his keyboard. "You know I would've preferred waking up to you and that mess of curls you sport in the morning."

"I know and I wanted to, but you don't ignore inspiration when it hits." Blaine's comment certainly caught Sebastian's attention. So he took a closer look at the laptop and saw that there were actually lyrics along with the arrangement. That sight let Sebastian know this all came to Blaine at once as he often writes lyrics by hand, and then does the arranging later. "As you can see, I've been up for a while. By the way, thank you for the coffee as my last cup got cold as I got on a roll."

"Not a problem." Sebastian replied. "May I ask what the inspiration was?"

"Do you really have to ask?" Blaine said as he looked at him and smiled. That look caused Sebastian to lean over and kiss Blaine on the cheek. "I'm glad you approve."

"Most definitely. Now, would my love like breakfast?"

"Your love?" Blaine asked with a smile at the new term of endearment.

"Yes, as you are, aren't you?"

"Yes, as you are mine. And I'd love breakfast. Do you need any assistance?"

"No, you go back to work and I'll bring you breakfast once it's done." When Blaine looked at him, Sebastian didn't flinch letting Blaine know he wasn't going to bend. "Since that's settled, I better get started."